BEFORE THEY WERE SOAP STARS
By Alina Adams
Judith Chapman, who turns 65 years old today and is currently playing Gloria on Y&R, has a phenomenally impressive soap resume.
She started off on ATWT as Natalie, Tom Hughes' first legal client - and eventually his first wife. Then she was Charlotte on Ryan's Hope, a part of some overly complicated Irish vendetta against Frank that really had to do with his mother (I hated the character so much, that when she got stabbed and spent, I swear, it was literally a week, writhing on the floor, trying to get to a phone, I giggled through the whole thing).
She was Ginny on General Hospital, where she somehow got to enchant both Mark Goddard as Derek (those who remember my earlier confessed love of Lost in Space, will understand my confusion) and Chris Robinson as Rick Webber. At the time, I thought it was the worst story ever written for Rick. Little did I know of what havoc would be wreaked when he returned to the show years later, only to be killed off by Laura and his body dragged around town, nearly Weekend at Bernie's style, by his grandsons, Lucky and Nikolas.
Next, she played Anjelica on Days of Our Lives. In this case, I had loved Jane Elliot's take on the role, and never warmed up to her subsequent portrayers. The same thing happened with Y&R's Gloria.
But, the thing that utterly stunned me was when I recently found out that Judith Chapman had also appeared on the classic Galactica 1980 episode, The Return of Starbuck (as Dr. Z's mother), a show I adored as a child. (Don't tell me it was cheesy. I know it was cheesy. My love was able to overlook that. Or maybe, at 10, I just had no clue). Thankfully, to keep things consistent, I hated that character, too.
Check out the video clip below!
Monday, November 15, 2010
DAYTIME DISH-ER
As the World Turns writer Susan Dansby talks Carjack, Nuke, Lure, the last days of ATWT, the golden age of GL, the future of soaps and, most importantly how you can be a part of them, in her interview at Dayplayer Dish.
Listen to the complete show, here!
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #80-1GQ told Jen, "Get this: The Bauers filed an injunction forbidding me from suing for custody until the Assisted Suicide case is settled. They argue that, until I know whether or not I'm going to jail, I can't claim to be capable of providing Hudson with a stable home. So not only did Allie deprive me of my son in the first place, now she's the indirect reason I can't immediately fight for him, too."
"But, Gregory's case might not come on the docket for weeks, maybe even months."
"Sucks to be me," GQ agreed. "Let's not even get into the fact that every day Hudson spends with the Bauers is another day they can point to and claim he's too settled in with them to be moved."
"GQ..." Jen began tentatively; no longer because she was afraid of giving unsolicited advice, but because she really wasn't sure how she felt about the advice she was about to offer. "I — I assume, when this all first went down, that Chase Hamilton offered you the same deal he offered the rest of us."
It took GQ a moment to comprehend what she was saying. Once he did, though, he appeared even more scared of the words and their potential than Jen had been. "No... Jen... I — I couldn't..."
***
Read the latest episode and vote at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/aw_today.html
Friday, November 12, 2010
GUIDING LIGHT SYNOPSIS NOVEMBER 8-12, 2010Via: http://twitter.com/melindasuelewis
Mindy met with GQ, who stressed to her that he was sorry to be hurting her, but he deserved to raise his child. And Hudson deserved to be raised as what he was - a Black man.
Mindy put her foot in her mouth when she pointed out that Hudson doesn't look Black, so wouldn't it be better for him to live a life with her and Rick that even GQ admitted would be simpler and less complicated?
GQ didn't see it that way. Mel filed papers declaring the adoption null and void and demanding that Mindy and Rick turn Hudson over to his biological father immediately.
Beth countered with the reminder that GQ was currently facing charges in Bay City in regards to Gregory's Assisted Suicide (http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2010/2010_67p1.html). Until that criminal issue was settled, GQ couldn't claim to be capable of providing Hudson with a stable home.
Mindy went crying to Billy about how she'd screwed up everything. Billy wondered, if GQ were sent to jail, that would make things easier for Billy's Princess, wouldn't it....
Don't like reading backwards? Go to: http://www.soapopera451.com/msl/ to read Mindy's latest Tweets in chronological order.
Want more details about what happened this week and how to follow along live starting Monday? Sign up to follow Mindy and offer her your advice at: http://twitter.com/melindasuelewis
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: ANOTHER WORLD COUPLES PART #1
By Nicole Walker
Ryan and Frankie: Blasphemous, I’m sure, to the Cass/Frankie and Ryan/Vicky factions, but Ryan and Frankie were such tight BFFs, such fun partners with real chemistry, that I enjoyed the idea of them becoming more than friends and making the transition to lovers much more than each staying with their respective partners. The potential was always there and both Cass and Vicky knew it- and fretted about it- but Ryan and Frankie were true-blue to their significant others (you wouldn’t expect anything else with them being the stand-up heroes that they were) and Fryan never came to be. On one hand, I applaud TPTB for resisting the urge to take every male/female interaction down the torrid lovers path which seems to happen sooner or later to every male/female couple on every soap, but on the other…
By Nicole Walker
Ryan and Frankie: Blasphemous, I’m sure, to the Cass/Frankie and Ryan/Vicky factions, but Ryan and Frankie were such tight BFFs, such fun partners with real chemistry, that I enjoyed the idea of them becoming more than friends and making the transition to lovers much more than each staying with their respective partners. The potential was always there and both Cass and Vicky knew it- and fretted about it- but Ryan and Frankie were true-blue to their significant others (you wouldn’t expect anything else with them being the stand-up heroes that they were) and Fryan never came to be. On one hand, I applaud TPTB for resisting the urge to take every male/female interaction down the torrid lovers path which seems to happen sooner or later to every male/female couple on every soap, but on the other…
All things said, while Cass and Felicia were the standard for a (mostly) platonic friendship between a men and a woman, Ryan and Frankie were in a class all their own. You just knew that when Frankie met her untimely (and brutal) death that Ryan was the first one waiting on the other side to welcome her and do his best to comfort her, support her and see her through, just like always...
Below, Vicky (Anne Heche) is jealous of Ryan and Frankie's closeness.
Donna and Grant: The snark! The wit! The sparks! This once and future dark power couple of Bay City could have been a force to be reckoned with by any who dared cross their paths. Between Grant’s ruthlessness and Donna’s high scheming and plotting IQ, there would be nothing these two couldn’t accomplish and no one they couldn’t crush. Or at least torture very, very painfully.
It would all start so innocently; Donna, in an effort to wedge Vicky and Grant apart, would take one for the team and set out to seduce Grant and draw his attention away from her daughter, only in the process she becomes charmed by the Senator, beguiled by his passion and ambition, and finds herself taking a liking to him even as she thoroughly believes he would be the biggest mistake Vicky could ever make. Grant would resist Donna’s attempts initially, still feeling a pull to the youthful Vicky, but he too would fall under the spell of the more confident, mature, fearless Donna, a woman who was intellectually stimulating, capable, experienced, and connected. A true partner in every way, the Lady to his MacBeth, in what would have most assuredly a torrid, tragic, mesmerizing car-crash of an affair.
Imagine! Dueling Power Couples Grant and Donna vs. Carl and Rachel! The battles these two dynamic duos could’ve had to determine who would reign supreme in Bay City!
Funnily enough we kind of DID get Donna and Grant together as a couple, only they were Greenlee Smythe’s parents (well, in Roger's case, presumed parent) on All My Children...
***
Nicole Walker is the Associate Producer of Another World Today.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #79-2: PRICE TO BE PAID"I love Cass," Felicia asserted. "And I love Frankie. I think they have been amazing parents to Lori Ann, especially under the horrible circumstances. But, on the other hand, the very qualities that made Frankie capable of taking in her cousin's child and raising Lori Ann as her own, are also the ones that are now making me reconsider her fitness for the job. Frankie is a loving, good-hearted, open, forgiving person. Which is wonderful. Up to a point."
"And what might that be, may I ask?"
"The one where her forgiving nature extends to sympathy for the Devil. Or, in this case, Donna Love."
Carl's countenance shook with rage. "She what?"
"Apparently, Donna came up to her at Gregory's funeral. It was a horrible occasion; you know how close Frankie is to both Sharlene and John, and she adored Gregory. She was clearly vulnerable, obviously not thinking straight at all. Donna pleaded her case. She had the audacity to compare her own keeping Jenna from you to Frankie's protecting Charlie from Cecile, and the lengths that Cass went to — "
"That bitch!" Carl exploded.
"You know how Frankie is. She prides herself on seeing the good in anyone. I admire her for it. But, if it leads to her eventually coming around and allowing Donna any sort of standing in Lori Ann's life — "
"Unacceptable," Carl sputtered. "Never. It would be a perversion."
"Exactly," Felicia agreed. "Which is why, for a variety of reasons, I believe it would be best for everyone if Lori Ann were returned to her father...."
***
Lila inadvertently gives Grant an idea for protecting Marley, Alice refuses to let Spencer and Kevin plot out her future, Jamie and Morgan disagree over Lorna's course of treatment, while Felicia and Carl continue with their plot against Donna.
Read the latest at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2010/2010_79p2.html
We've really enjoyed reading your comments on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Another-World/307355595460?ref=search&sid=13800416.3728872026..1 and the SoapOpera451 Message Board: http://www.soapopera451.com/talk/mboard.php. Keep it up!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
DOPPELGANGER DWARFS
By Alina Adams
When we talk about diversity on daytime, it's easy to forget that even among the minimum representation of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish and gay characters, one group that's rarely ever seen is the differently-abled.
Sure, there are the periodic attacks of trauma-induced and/or hysterical blindness/deafness/muteness/paralysis. But, hardly anyone stays that way for long. (Unless they are played by a genuinely disabled actor, such as Tom Sullivan on Search for Tomorrow or Mitch Longley on Another World). Guiding Light hired a hearing-impaired actress, Amy Englund, to play Abby, but both the character and performer received a chochlear implant. (For more on that story and deafness on daytime in general, click here.) Even Lily's autism on All My Children seemed to come and go as the storyline called for it. (She's nonverbal! She's hyperverbal! She panics at the color red! No, today, she's fine...)
Brent Collins was an actor who suffered from dwarfism and, ironically, also Marfan's Syndrome, the same disease that killed Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar and vollyball star Flo Hyman.
He made his 1982 debut on As The World Turns in a role that was basically a (rather tasteless, IMHO) short joke, portraying Mr. Big (get it? It's funny, because he's a dwarf!), a mob kingpin who tortured Tom and Margo in his secluded European castle and then through Africa (in my ATWT tie-in novel, The Man From Oakdale, I pay tribute to the storyline and the start of the Hughes' romance; I was 12 when it aired. I thought it was awesome.)
As you can see for yourself in the classic clip below, the part consisted mostly of evil cackling:
But, just like Margo Hughes (not the one in the clip above; but we're soap viewers we know how to roll with these kinds of punches) turned out to have a doppelganger in Springfield (video evidence, here), so did Mr. Big have a (much nicer; for a change) twin in Bay City.
In 1984, Brent Collins assumed the role of Wallingford on AW, Felicia Gallant's confidant, business partner and occasional partner in crime.
And while the role was quite an improvement over Mr. Big (for one thing, there was a lot less cackling... and torture), the fact is, for the duration of his run, Wallingford was primarily used for comic relief, as a supportive shoulder and a "cuteness" factor, that proved soaps still have a long way to go when it comes to those who are different... in any way.
(This piece was in no way intended to be a comprehensive overview of disability portrayals on daytime. If you have a story that you think was handled particularly well over the years... or particularly badly, please let us know in the Comments!)
By Alina Adams
When we talk about diversity on daytime, it's easy to forget that even among the minimum representation of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish and gay characters, one group that's rarely ever seen is the differently-abled.
Sure, there are the periodic attacks of trauma-induced and/or hysterical blindness/deafness/muteness/paralysis. But, hardly anyone stays that way for long. (Unless they are played by a genuinely disabled actor, such as Tom Sullivan on Search for Tomorrow or Mitch Longley on Another World). Guiding Light hired a hearing-impaired actress, Amy Englund, to play Abby, but both the character and performer received a chochlear implant. (For more on that story and deafness on daytime in general, click here.) Even Lily's autism on All My Children seemed to come and go as the storyline called for it. (She's nonverbal! She's hyperverbal! She panics at the color red! No, today, she's fine...)
Brent Collins was an actor who suffered from dwarfism and, ironically, also Marfan's Syndrome, the same disease that killed Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar and vollyball star Flo Hyman.
He made his 1982 debut on As The World Turns in a role that was basically a (rather tasteless, IMHO) short joke, portraying Mr. Big (get it? It's funny, because he's a dwarf!), a mob kingpin who tortured Tom and Margo in his secluded European castle and then through Africa (in my ATWT tie-in novel, The Man From Oakdale, I pay tribute to the storyline and the start of the Hughes' romance; I was 12 when it aired. I thought it was awesome.)
As you can see for yourself in the classic clip below, the part consisted mostly of evil cackling:
But, just like Margo Hughes (not the one in the clip above; but we're soap viewers we know how to roll with these kinds of punches) turned out to have a doppelganger in Springfield (video evidence, here), so did Mr. Big have a (much nicer; for a change) twin in Bay City.
In 1984, Brent Collins assumed the role of Wallingford on AW, Felicia Gallant's confidant, business partner and occasional partner in crime.
And while the role was quite an improvement over Mr. Big (for one thing, there was a lot less cackling... and torture), the fact is, for the duration of his run, Wallingford was primarily used for comic relief, as a supportive shoulder and a "cuteness" factor, that proved soaps still have a long way to go when it comes to those who are different... in any way.
(This piece was in no way intended to be a comprehensive overview of disability portrayals on daytime. If you have a story that you think was handled particularly well over the years... or particularly badly, please let us know in the Comments!)
EDGE OF NIGHT TODAY
What have Sky and Raven Whitney been up to over the past twenty-five years? Find out in the latest installment of Mariann Aalda's (Didi) Eye on Monticello!
And please enjoy this classic EON opening sequence, featuring Didi, Calvin, Raven, Sky and whole lot more!
What have Sky and Raven Whitney been up to over the past twenty-five years? Find out in the latest installment of Mariann Aalda's (Didi) Eye on Monticello!
And please enjoy this classic EON opening sequence, featuring Didi, Calvin, Raven, Sky and whole lot more!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
PRE-PRIMETIME PRE-TEENS
Before they found prime-time success in Who's The Boss and Heroes, Danny Pintauro and Hayden Panettiere made a slapsh in daytime as three iconic, pint-sized dynamos from a trio of core families.
At age seven, Danny Pintauro stepped into the role of As The World Turns' Paul, son of Barbara and James. (For details of what a heavy storyline was laid on those second grade shoulders, click here.) Enjoy the clip below: Evidence that, once upon a time, James actually did love Paul - or, at least, loved him in a noticeably less twisted way.
Meanwhile, Hayden Panettiere made her mark as not one but two daytime tots!
There's Guiding Light's Lizzie...
And, even before that, Sarah on One Life to Live...
Before they found prime-time success in Who's The Boss and Heroes, Danny Pintauro and Hayden Panettiere made a slapsh in daytime as three iconic, pint-sized dynamos from a trio of core families.
At age seven, Danny Pintauro stepped into the role of As The World Turns' Paul, son of Barbara and James. (For details of what a heavy storyline was laid on those second grade shoulders, click here.) Enjoy the clip below: Evidence that, once upon a time, James actually did love Paul - or, at least, loved him in a noticeably less twisted way.
Meanwhile, Hayden Panettiere made her mark as not one but two daytime tots!
There's Guiding Light's Lizzie...
And, even before that, Sarah on One Life to Live...
Monday, November 8, 2010
WHERE IN THE WORLD....
Perhaps no one has lived the life of a New York soap star with more panache and notoriety than Eileen Fulton. The woman credited with inventing the soap industry’s contractual “granny clause” in the late 1960s (no grandchildren for her character) is working with the cabaret coach and director Diana Basmajian to create the nightclub act she’ll unveil at the Greenwich Village piano bar Don’t Tell Mama on Dec. 17.
Perhaps no one has lived the life of a New York soap star with more panache and notoriety than Eileen Fulton. The woman credited with inventing the soap industry’s contractual “granny clause” in the late 1960s (no grandchildren for her character) is working with the cabaret coach and director Diana Basmajian to create the nightclub act she’ll unveil at the Greenwich Village piano bar Don’t Tell Mama on Dec. 17.
In an apartment on the Upper East Side whose walls are painted a dramatic shade of purple, Ms. Fulton recently quieted two Pekingese dogs — Ella Fitzgerald and Rosemary Clooney — as she practiced the showbiz yarns that might make it into her cabaret act. At 77, and waving off concern over the pneumonia that landed her in the hospital just as the final episodes of “As the World Turns” were broadcast, Ms. Fulton dismissed talk of retirement with a succinct “You die.”
More on Eileen, as well as Jake Silbermann (Noah), Michael Park (Jack), Terri Columbino (Katie), Van Hansis (Luke), etc... at: The New York Times.
And for those who'd like a preview of Eileen's nightclub act, check out her cabaret reel, below:
And then buy Eileen's CD!
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #79-1: COVER UP!
"You could have stepped up and helped those kids at any time," Rachel accused Alice.
"My coming forward would have hardly gotten all the charges dropped. Especially not where Allie was concerned."
"You could have tried. You were so sanctimonious about being the one Jamie turned to when he was sick years ago."
"That's your interpretation of my motives."
"You picked a hell of a time to quit butting into my family's business." Rachel zeroed in with her best shot. "Steven Frame. How could you look at that name in the paper, how could you look at that face; we both know who he looks like, don't we? It's unmistakable — and, understanding that you had the means, still refuse to lift a finger to help him?"
"I don't need to justify myself to you. Not today of all days."
"I knew it." Rachel's smiled mixed triumph with bitterness. "You were lashing out at me, using my children and grandchildren to do it."
"Would it be terribly rude," Alice inquired. "If I were to suggest you get over yourself, Rachel? And quickly. It's not attractive."
***
Grant steps in to protect Marley even as Jamie discovers Lorna at the hospital with Morgan, Lila warns Donna off turning to Matt, Carl pleads his case to Dean, and GQ meets with Hudson's adoptive parents.
Your votes are in! Who is the new Mayor of Bay City? Find out at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2010/2010_79p1.html
And as several lives hang in the balance, we want to hear your thoughts on what should happen next! Go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Another-World/307355595460?ref=search&sid=13800416.3728872026..1 and http://www.soapopera451.com/talk/mboard.php to voice your opinions on future storyline twists and turns, and become a part of keeping "Another World Today" spinning!
And for a refresher course on the reason behind Rachel and Alice's over 40 years of animosity, please enjoy this retrospective from the 1994 prime-time special, 50 Years of Soaps.
"You could have stepped up and helped those kids at any time," Rachel accused Alice.
"My coming forward would have hardly gotten all the charges dropped. Especially not where Allie was concerned."
"You could have tried. You were so sanctimonious about being the one Jamie turned to when he was sick years ago."
"That's your interpretation of my motives."
"You picked a hell of a time to quit butting into my family's business." Rachel zeroed in with her best shot. "Steven Frame. How could you look at that name in the paper, how could you look at that face; we both know who he looks like, don't we? It's unmistakable — and, understanding that you had the means, still refuse to lift a finger to help him?"
"I don't need to justify myself to you. Not today of all days."
"I knew it." Rachel's smiled mixed triumph with bitterness. "You were lashing out at me, using my children and grandchildren to do it."
"Would it be terribly rude," Alice inquired. "If I were to suggest you get over yourself, Rachel? And quickly. It's not attractive."
***
Grant steps in to protect Marley even as Jamie discovers Lorna at the hospital with Morgan, Lila warns Donna off turning to Matt, Carl pleads his case to Dean, and GQ meets with Hudson's adoptive parents.
Your votes are in! Who is the new Mayor of Bay City? Find out at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2010/2010_79p1.html
And as several lives hang in the balance, we want to hear your thoughts on what should happen next! Go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Another-World/307355595460?ref=search&sid=13800416.3728872026..1 and http://www.soapopera451.com/talk/mboard.php to voice your opinions on future storyline twists and turns, and become a part of keeping "Another World Today" spinning!
And for a refresher course on the reason behind Rachel and Alice's over 40 years of animosity, please enjoy this retrospective from the 1994 prime-time special, 50 Years of Soaps.
Friday, November 5, 2010
GUIDING LIGHT SYNOPSIS NOVEMBER 1-5, 2010Via http://twitter.com/MelindaSueLewis:
While waiting for GQ and Beth to show up for their legal meeting, Mindy attempted to make small talk with Mel.
It didn't go well.
First, they clashed about Leah dating Kevin Marler. Mel thought her daughter deserved to have fun and not obsess about her schoolwork like Mel did when she was Leah's age. Mindy thought anyone with Thorpe chromosomes - especially a teen-age boy - was bound to be trouble.
Next, Mindy was furious to find out that GQ went on TV again, to talk about Hudson's custody. (http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2010/2010_78p1.html). But, she grew speechless when she heard GQ reading aloud some of the nasty, racist mail he'd received as a result.
Mindy swore to Mel that she had nothing to do with it (even as she and Beth privately wondered if Phillip might be involved... he did promise to protect them, Spaulding style).
Mel conceded that she knew that. But, also pointed out that the custody battle was bound to have a racial dimension. Did Mindy really want to put Hudson - not to mention herself and Rick... and Leah - through this?
What should Mindy do now? Tweet her your advice via: http://twitter.com/MelindaSueLewis.
And, to read more, go to: http://www.soapopera451.com/msl/, where all of Mindy's tweets appear in chronological order!
Plus, should soaps delve into issues of race? Please let us know your thoughts below!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Missed Opportunity: Guiding Light Edition
Cassie Layne Winslow and Alan-Michael Spaulding: A Bad Romance
By Nicole Walker
It never fails. Just like you know that when a woman sleeps with two different men on the same night that she’s going to end up pregnant or when an emotionally distraught girlfriend/wife/mother gets behind the wheel of a car you can set your watch by how many minutes she has before she crashes her car into oncoming traffic...
Cassie Layne Winslow and Alan-Michael Spaulding: A Bad Romance
By Nicole Walker
It never fails. Just like you know that when a woman sleeps with two different men on the same night that she’s going to end up pregnant or when an emotionally distraught girlfriend/wife/mother gets behind the wheel of a car you can set your watch by how many minutes she has before she crashes her car into oncoming traffic...
When news that an actor is leaving a soap and their character is being written out, THAT is when the character and their potential becomes 1000x more compelling than what they were before they were given the pink slip.
Now, many Guiding Light fans were skeptical when the beloved Alan-Michael Spaulding was 
brought back to the canvas in 2005, which was understandable since he wasn’t being played by Emmy award winned Rick Hearst. I mean, Alan-Michael IS Rick Hearst (sorry, Carl Tye Evans, we love you, too; it's just been a while) and Michael Dempsey (Alan-Michael’s new portrayer) was quite pretty to look at, but he wasn’t Rick Hearst.
And, as if the poor guy didn’t have enough against him, instead of playing with the big boys upon his return, Alan-Michael was thrown into not one but two head scratching romances with women nearly half his age - Marina and Ava - the former being the daughter of his ex-wife, Eleni, who at one time could have turned out to be Alan-Michael’s daughter!
::Sigh::
After nearly two years on canvas, Dempsey was given his pink-slip in 2007, and us viewers were left to watch and wait for his exit.
And then it happened.
One scene of Alan-Michael playing the Spaulding Family Defender against the emotionally volatile and grieving Cassie Layne Winslow and suddenly I could visualize a compelling, organic, character-consistent, emotionally engaging storyline for Alan-Michael and Cassie that could keep going and going for years.
Take Alan-Michael: Always at odds with Alan and being a Spaulding, he nevertheless takes up the mantle of gate-keeper and head of the Spaulding family because that’s what a son does. In taking this action, of course, there is the hope that he will finally earn Alan’s respect and love.
Take Cassie Layne Winslow: A grieving mother who is unraveling to an alarmingly unpredictable degree. She has a legitimate beef against Alan-Michael’s father, Alan, for his role in Cassie’s daughter’s death and aims to see Alan - and all the Spauldings, if necessary - pay and pay dearly and will do so by any means necessary.
The two battle; Cassie doing her damndest to upset Alan’s life and Alan-Michael doing his best to set it right, Cassie changing up her tactics and playing up her grief to sucker Alan-Michael in, Alan-Michael playing to Cassie, claiming that he does feel her pain and understand what she’s going through...
Only somewhere along the way, the sweet sensitive part of himself that Alan-Michael tries to protect does begin to feel Cassie’s pain and Cassie is shocked to realize that not all Spauldings are without a heart or compassion and the two realize, to their horror, that they are falling in love with the enemy.
But this wasn’t supposed to happen, each is using the other as a means to an end. So they retreat from each other back to their warring selves, only the more they try to fight it, the more they can’t resist each other, even when they give in to lust and temptation they tell themselves that it’s all part of the plan, that they’re in control of themselves, in control of the situation and that nothing will keep them from their ultimate goals.
And then fate intervenes. Cassie ends up pregnant. Clichéd? Maybe. (Ed. Note: Tricky without a uterus, perhaps even more so.) But nothing steps up a storyline like a blood-feud baby!
Now the game goes to a whole new level.
For Cassie this child is a miracle, a salve for her broken heart or a weapon in her vendetta 
against the family obsessed Alan, even as it remains a vulnerability that the Spauldings can use to completely and utterly destroy her once and for all.
For Alan-Michael- this child marks the defining moment of his life. A family is now within reach, but will he cut ties from the Spauldings for his child and its mother and make a deliberate effort to protect his own child from Alan’s crushing influence? Or would he be swayed by Alan’s sudden interest in another heir to use his and Cassie’s child to finally cement himself in his father’s good graces?
Would Cassie and Alan-Michael ever trust each other enough to believe in their love? To let go of the past and look to a future as a normal happy family with their new bundle of joy?
Unfortunately, we’ll never know.
Cassie and Alan-Michael never engaged in full on crazy, sexy, hot, Spaulding-Layne warfare.
Alan-Michael went out with whimper instead of a bang, forced out of Springfield by Alan in a most humiliating manner in a supposed effort to ‘protect’ him.
Cassie would leave town a year later after finally hitting rock bottom, taking the one kid she had left, RJ, off for a new start in Hawaii.
Somewhat anti-climactic ends, I’d say.
But who knows, maybe those two, crazy, pretty kids still found each other after leaving Springfield; Cassie being the one to help Alan-Michael finally let go of his anger towards Alan, and Alan-Michael showing Cassie that not all Spauldings are irredeemably evil.
What do you all think? Click the Comments button and let us know!
***
Nicole Walker is the Associate Producer of Another World Today. She is rarely without an opinion.
AS MY SUBCONSCIOUS TURNSBy Alina Adams
I wonder what Dr. Freud would have made of the dream I had last night, wherein I travel back in time but, instead of buying Apple stock or warning people of the looming recession, I choose to spend my time... watching classic soap operas.
(General Hospital's Anna and Duke, to be precise, which is very odd, since, while I liked them well enough, they don't even make my Top 25 favorite soap couples list. It's also a bit anachronistic, as, in my time travels, I'm in New York City, where I only moved in 1994, and Anna and Duke were over by then. But, enough about me....)
Clearly, my subconscious is trying to tell me something. Am taking suggestions on what....
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #78-2"Amanda...."
"What, Mom?" She tuned around, hands on hips, bracing for a fight.
"Drop the tone, young lady," Rachel was in no mood for attitude. "No matter how tired you are, I am still not the enemy, here."
"Sorry," Amanda mumbled. "I just... It's been a long.... What were you going to say?"
"I was going to say that it would probably be best for you to hire a new attorney for Allie as soon as possible. Maybe you and Jamie would like to employ someone from the Cory corporate stable for both Allie and Steven. If not, perhaps Mike Bauer or — "
"Why would I get Allie a new attorney? Kevin hasn't said anything about quitting."
"His representing Alice is an obvious conflict of interest."
"How? They're all charged with the same crime."
"No, they aren't. Alice is a doctor, her indictment is much more severe than theirs. Not to mention the fact that Allie and Steven will need to testify against her."
"No way," Amanda said. "If they were going to turn on Alice, they could have done it weeks ago. Clearly, the kids aren't interested."
"Which is precisely why they need their own attorney, to explain to them why they should get interested, and quickly."
"I'm not going to let you do this, Mom."
"Do what? Protect my grandchildren?"
"At another person's expense."
"Alice is guilty. Even she isn't denying it. If anyone should be laying down the law here, it should be me forbidding you from sacrificing your daughter and your nephew to protect the grandmother of a man who certainly wouldn't do the same for you."
***
Marley's recollection of the past offers new perspective on her future and jeopardizes several people's future, Carl questions Rachel's role in Alice's arrest, Morgan makes a confession to Lorna, Steven confronts Sarah who blames GQ, Spencer vows to protect Alice at any cost, and you get to vote for the next mayor of Bay City!
All at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2010/2010_78p2.html
Thanks to everyone who let us know the link to the Discussion Board was broken. We've fixed it at: http://www.soapopera451.com/talk/mboard.php
And thank you for your continued support. We're getting new members for the mailing list and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Another-World/307355595460?ref=search&sid=13800416.3728872026..1) every day. We couldn't do this without you!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
EDGE OF NIGHT TODAY #6
Mariann Aalda (Didi) keeps a fresh Eye on Monticello at: http://eontoday.blogspot.com/2010/11/fine-dandy-and-just-super.html.
Click on the above link to find out what prompted her to write as a post-script: Rick James was actually one of Irving Allen Lee's (who played Calvin) favorite performers. And there were many mornings that he would show up on the set after a night of partying, singing this song!
Plus, check out a new interview with Mariann at: http://thesoapspiel.blogspot.com/, and please enjoy this final act from the last episode of Edge of Night!
Mariann Aalda (Didi) keeps a fresh Eye on Monticello at: http://eontoday.blogspot.com/2010/11/fine-dandy-and-just-super.html.
Click on the above link to find out what prompted her to write as a post-script: Rick James was actually one of Irving Allen Lee's (who played Calvin) favorite performers. And there were many mornings that he would show up on the set after a night of partying, singing this song!
Plus, check out a new interview with Mariann at: http://thesoapspiel.blogspot.com/, and please enjoy this final act from the last episode of Edge of Night!
WHERE ARE THEY NOW ROUND-UP
Alexandra Chando (Maddie; ATWT)
Larry Bryggman (John; ATWT)
Michael Park (Jack; ATWT)
Frank Runyon (Steve; ATWT)
Matt Bomer (Ben; GL)
Robert Newman (Josh; GL)
Sandra Robinson (Amanda; AW)
Alexandra Chando (Maddie; ATWT)
Larry Bryggman (John; ATWT)
Michael Park (Jack; ATWT)
Frank Runyon (Steve; ATWT)
Matt Bomer (Ben; GL)
Robert Newman (Josh; GL)
Sandra Robinson (Amanda; AW)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
DOPPELGANGER DUOS: MARGO HUGHES/MAUREEN BAUER
By Alina Adams
The fact that Mike Bauer was able to temporarily relocate from Springfield to Bay City, Cass Winthrop practice law on AW, ATWT and GL, and Chris Hughes hope to get a heart from his neighboring burg, indicates that all three soap towns exist in the same universe.
Which must make it terribly confusing for their citizens when they spot allegedly non-related people who somehow look awfully familiar (like, say, Mark Evans, Brian McColl and Grant Harrison. Or Annie Dutton and Vicky Hudson).
This week, we take a look at another such example:
Springfield's Maureen Bauer...
And Oakdale's Margo Hughes...
Not only do the ladies look alike, but they share characteristics like feistiness, stubbornness, a firm belief in right and wrong (though never to the point of rigidity), and husbands whom they usually adore, who adore them back... but who also have been know to stray on occasion. And accidentally father an illegitimate child (GL's Michelle, ATWT's Daniel), whom Maureen and Margo nevertheless grew to love as their own.
With all that in common, if they ran into each other (I know, hard to do with Maureen being dead, but let's pretend this happened before that... and before the women stopped looking alike, too), do you think Maureen and Margo could have been friends?
Tell us in the Comments below!
Coming soon:
Felicia Gallant & Lena Kendall
Bill Lewis & Chris Hughes
Kelly Nelson & Doug Cummings
Tom Hughes & Buzz Cooper
Jamie Frame & Brian Wheatley
Craig Montgomery & Ben Warren
Edmund Winslow & Jordan Stark
& More!
(You can leave your suggestions for whom you would like to see, below, as well, and I'll try to dig up the clips.)
***
Alina Adams is the author of Oakdale Confidential, Jonathan's Story, The Man From Oakdale and the tongue-in-cheek self-help book:
By Alina Adams
The fact that Mike Bauer was able to temporarily relocate from Springfield to Bay City, Cass Winthrop practice law on AW, ATWT and GL, and Chris Hughes hope to get a heart from his neighboring burg, indicates that all three soap towns exist in the same universe.
Which must make it terribly confusing for their citizens when they spot allegedly non-related people who somehow look awfully familiar (like, say, Mark Evans, Brian McColl and Grant Harrison. Or Annie Dutton and Vicky Hudson).
This week, we take a look at another such example:
Springfield's Maureen Bauer...
And Oakdale's Margo Hughes...
Not only do the ladies look alike, but they share characteristics like feistiness, stubbornness, a firm belief in right and wrong (though never to the point of rigidity), and husbands whom they usually adore, who adore them back... but who also have been know to stray on occasion. And accidentally father an illegitimate child (GL's Michelle, ATWT's Daniel), whom Maureen and Margo nevertheless grew to love as their own.
With all that in common, if they ran into each other (I know, hard to do with Maureen being dead, but let's pretend this happened before that... and before the women stopped looking alike, too), do you think Maureen and Margo could have been friends?
Tell us in the Comments below!
Coming soon:
Felicia Gallant & Lena Kendall
Bill Lewis & Chris Hughes
Kelly Nelson & Doug Cummings
Tom Hughes & Buzz Cooper
Jamie Frame & Brian Wheatley
Craig Montgomery & Ben Warren
Edmund Winslow & Jordan Stark
& More!
(You can leave your suggestions for whom you would like to see, below, as well, and I'll try to dig up the clips.)
***
Alina Adams is the author of Oakdale Confidential, Jonathan's Story, The Man From Oakdale and the tongue-in-cheek self-help book:
Monday, November 1, 2010
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATE, STILL SWEET... AND HOT!
October 28 was National Chocolate Day. Alas, I just found out about it today.
To make up for my tardiness, please enjoy the following chocolate themed-scenes from As The World Turns, Guiding Light and Another World (we've got cake, pudding, ice-cream... plus chocolate as a metaphor. Mmmmm, metaphorical chocolate....)
October 28 was National Chocolate Day. Alas, I just found out about it today.
To make up for my tardiness, please enjoy the following chocolate themed-scenes from As The World Turns, Guiding Light and Another World (we've got cake, pudding, ice-cream... plus chocolate as a metaphor. Mmmmm, metaphorical chocolate....)
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #78-1: ELECTION DAY!Materializing as if from a puff of smoke, Donna poked her head into the office. "Grant, darling, I need you desperately. Jeanne is ready for your interview." She informed Marley. "We'll be streaming the entire Election Day live from Grant's headquarters on the KBAY website! Isn't that exciting? Very cutting edge. Grant will be a pioneer!" She grabbed him by the arm, pulling Grant away before Marley could respond. Clearly, the question had been rhetorical.
"That's weird," Kirkland noted as his father and grandmother blew by him, a frowning Marley bringing up the rear. "All I ever heard was how much she hated him, and now, Grandmother's working harder than anybody to get Grant elected. What's up?"
"Politics make strange bedfellows," Marley figured it was never too early to introduce a growing boy to meaningless cliches. "Forget about Donna," she urged Kirkland, trying desperately to do the same. "The most important thing for Grant about this day is having you on-hand to share it with him. He's so happy you decided to come."
"Are you kidding? Where else would I be?"
"Well, it is Jamie's birthday, too, and I know you and Steven usually do the Frame men dinner followed by some live sporting event thing."
"Dad was cool about postponing. He saw I wanted to be here. Besides, there's Lorna now, and I figured they didn't need a third wheel around for the celebration, you know?"
"Yeah..." Visualizing that particular scenario somehow made even Donna cooing over Grant the preferable image. Marley refocused her attention towards her mother's camera crew, where Jeanne Ewing stood amidst the frenzy of campaign activity, interviewing a cool, collected, dapper Grant.
"Are you concerned, Senator, about the effect that Dr. Alice Frame's earlier arrest might have on your chances today?"
***
On Election Day, Grant slyly turns the tables on his opponent, Spencer, Kevin, and Amanda band together for Alice, Morgan guesses Lorna's secret, Kirkland gives GQ some more to think about, Marley balks at Donna's sycophantic overtures, and Frankie appeals for Sharlene to see reason.
Latest episode at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2010/2010_78p1.html
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